The best Bug finders, compared.
Top pick: XiflLife S505 Best value: HawkSpy K18 – About £40.92 for a listed lens check, knob, GS probe, vibration alert, and a cable in the box. Updated October 2026.
You want a handheld bug finder for a hidden camera, a wireless transmitter, or a magnet-mounted tracker, in a hotel room, a holiday let, or a car you are allowed to inspect. A gigahertz span on a bullet is not the quality test. Look for a lens check, a radio-strength mode with a sensitivity control, and a magnetic probe, and for reviews that use those modes without the alarm sounding on every router. A quiet room is not proof the room is clear, because a camera that only writes to a card can sit outside one radio pass. Modes, price bands, and the UK legal line are in the [bug finder buying guide](/hub/electronic-surveillance/bug-finder/sub/bug-finder-buying-guide). These scores read the listings and the review notes. A bug finder is a handheld receiver sold on amazon.co.uk. It is not a spectrum analyser, and it is not a specialist counter-surveillance receiver.
You want a handheld bug finder for a hidden camera, a wireless transmitter, or a magnet-mounted tracker, in a hotel room, a holiday let, or a car you are allowed to inspect.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need written on the listing?
The XiflLife S505 is listed at £20.99 and 35 g, with a line of 5.0 from 5 reviews. The review notes contain four texts, all dated 11 September 2026, and none of those four describes a fault, a false alarm, or a missed device. On paper the bullets offer an infrared window, sound, vibration, or a flashing light, five sensitivity levels, a magnetic mode, and a 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz claim. The box cell lists an instruction manual only, while a bullet claims USB-C charging and a 300 mAh battery, and the batteries-required cell says No. Those four texts do mention a hotel-room window check and a car magnet pass, but a same-day cluster of five is not a sample you can rank against 1,229 reviews. Treat the 5.0 as the listing line, not as evidence that this is the strongest detector in the set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing the feature bullets at £20.99 and you will ignore the 5.0 until more reviews exist.
Less suitable: You want a score based on a large amazon.co.uk review file, or a charging cable named in the box cell.
Specifications
Common questions
How many reviews describe the XiflLife S505?
The listing line says 5.0 from 5 reviews. The notes contain four review texts, all dated 11 September 2026. None of those four describes a fault.
Does the S505 include a charging cable?
The box cell lists an instruction manual only. A bullet claims USB-C charging and a 300 mAh battery. The batteries-required cell says No.
The AOBOCAM Hcd-001 is a 70 g pocket unit at £24.99, with 4.6 from 50 reviews and dimensions of 20 x 20 x 50 mm. Bullets claim LED, vibration, and beep alerts, a radio mode, a magnetic mode, and USB-C charging. Reviews from hotels and rented flats say Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, routers, and smart TVs trip the radio alert until you lower the sensitivity. The included-components cell says mini camera, which fights the title and the reviews that describe a detector. The lens row does not state a viewfinder, so a camera that is off or writing to a card is outside what this listing shows. One review talks about sturdy straps, which does not match a detector and should not be read as a feature. It is a light travel stick for radio and vibration, with the lens check left off the page.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a light radio stick with vibration for a hotel bag and you already accept there is no lens row.
Less suitable: You need a viewfinder for a camera that may be off, or you want a components line that says detector.
Specifications
Common questions
Why does the AOBOCAM box list say mini camera?
The included-components cell says mini camera. The title, the bullets, and the reviews describe a detector, not a camera you record with.
Does the AOBOCAM alarm on hotel Wi-Fi?
Reviews say Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, routers, and smart TVs trip the radio alert until you lower the sensitivity. The lens row does not state a viewfinder.
The Souhpyh S502 is listed at £25.99, with 4.6 from 21 reviews, and the table weight is 90 g while a bullet says 1.06 oz, so those two masses are not the same figure. The listing claims radio, a red-light lens mode, magnetic detection, sound and vibration alerts, an 800 mAh cell, and a 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz span that remains a bullet. The box lists a USB-C charging cable, the detector, and a manual, and a review says the English leaflet print is very small. Most of the twenty review texts are short praise from people planning hotels, a cruise, or a holiday. One reviewer still had not worked out the controls, and the comparison row does not state a sensitivity control. Twenty-one reviews are enough to see the box contents, and too few to treat 4.6 as a settled picture of missed cameras.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want vibration and a cable under £30 and you will not treat 21 reviews as a large sample.
Less suitable: You need a stated sensitivity knob, or you want one agreed weight on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the S502 box include?
The box list is a charging cable, the detector, and an instruction manual. A review says the instructions are in English and that the leaflet print is very small.
Which weight should you use for the S502?
The spec table says 90 g. A bullet says 1.06 oz. Both are copied from the listing. They are not the same figure, so this table leaves the weight blank.
The SFILOFEREE T19 is listed at £29.99 and 68 g, with 4.5 from 63 reviews. The listing gives six sensitivity levels, an infrared LED lens mode, a claimed magnetic sensor, an extendable antenna, and a box of the detector plus a charging cable. Reviewers who bought it for hotels and holiday lets say it detected their own cameras and phones, and that you can charge it from a phone charger. Radio mode false-beeps beside a phone or Wi-Fi unless you lower the sensitivity. One unit would not switch off, alarmed around LEDs, and detected nothing else. Vibration is not stated on the comparison row, so a silent night alert is not something this file promises. At this price you get a named lens mode and a cable, with a shut-off complaint you should treat as real even though it is a single review.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a lens mode and a cable under £30, and you will turn the sensitivity down near Wi-Fi.
Less suitable: You need a stated vibration alert, or a unit that failed to switch off is a deal-breaker.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the T19 box?
The box list is the camera detector and a charging cable. A review says it can be charged from a phone charger. A BS 1363 plug is not listed as a separate mains charger.
Why does the T19 beep near a router?
Reviews say radio mode false-beeps beside a phone or Wi-Fi unless you lower the sensitivity. One unit would not switch off and alarmed around LEDs.
The KEULGOUL ZDS616 is listed at £105.89 with 4.4 from 12 reviews, and only eight review texts are on file. The spec table says 190 g and a bullet says 50 g, so the weight is not one figure you can quote. Radio and magnetic sensing are claimed, and the lens row does not state a viewfinder. The box cell lists the host machine only, while a review mentions USB-C charging that is not in that cell. One reviewer filmed it reacting to a camera in use; another review is only the word Rubbish, with no fault named. Eight texts are too thin to show a repeated defect, and they are also too thin to treat 4.4 as a settled result at this price. A higher shelf price in this set still does not state a lens check.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are checking a no-app radio and magnetic claim and you will not pay £105.89 on twelve reviews alone.
Less suitable: You need a lens window, one agreed weight, or a box line that names the cable and the probe.
Specifications
Common questions
How much does the ZDS616 weigh?
The spec table says 190 g. A bullet says 50 g. Both figures are in the listing. They are not reconciled, so this table leaves the weight blank.
Does the ZDS616 need an app?
The connectivity cell says no app or wireless connection is required. The lens row does not state a viewfinder.
The SIKVIO K18 is listed at £44.99 and 150 g, with 4.2 from 1,229 reviews on amazon.co.uk, the largest review count in this set. A bullet states 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz for wireless audio and video, which is a listing claim, not a measured range. Reviewers describe a viewfinder that showed a camera from a useful distance, a sensitivity potentiometer, and home tests on phones, Wi-Fi, a doorbell camera, and a games controller. One reviewer reports a useful pass after Wi-Fi was off and the phone was in flight mode, and a magnetic check on a car. The listing does not state a vibration alert, and a review describes a loud beep judged to be a false reading, after which a refund was arranged. Instructions are called faffy, and ordinary Wi-Fi also sets it off, which is easy to misread as a hidden transmitter. It is the top pick here when you want that review volume and a viewfinder people have written about, and a poor fit if a night check has to stay silent.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the travel detector with the largest amazon.co.uk review file and a viewfinder reviewers describe.
Less suitable: You need vibration written on the listing, or a loud false beep is unacceptable.
Specifications
Common questions
What frequency does the SIKVIO K18 claim?
A bullet states 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz for wireless audio and video. That span is a listing claim. It is not a measured result, and it is not a detection distance.
Is the SIKVIO K18 quiet?
A review describes a loud beep and false readings, and says a refund was arranged. Other reviews do not describe a silent mode. Vibration is not stated on the listing.
The JMDHKK M8000 is the dearest unit in this set at £179.98, with 4.0 from 865 reviews and a listed weight of 218 g. The box names an antenna, an optical camera finder, a GS probe, the main unit, and a USB charging cable, not a BS 1363 plug. Reviewers describe radio checks in hotels, offices, and a car, and say the camera finder works once you learn the reflection. A review says the magnet detector only responds when you get close to the magnet, and the listing gives no distance. One box arrived without a battery charger, and another reviewer says advertised items were faulty. The comparison rows do not state a sound alert, a vibration alert, or a sensitivity control. Paying nearly £180 does not add a frequency readout the cheaper K18 files also lack.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want the M8000’s optical finder and you have already accepted the £179.98 line.
Less suitable: You want a night vibration mode, a stated sensitivity control, or a lower price with a larger or similar review file.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a charger in the M8000 box?
The box list includes a USB charging cable, not a BS 1363 plug. One review says the battery charger was missing.
How close does the M8000 magnet check need to be?
A review says the magnet detector works, but only when you get close to the magnet. The listing does not give a distance.
The FOWARD GAUSS BK19 is listed at £65.99 and 160 g, with 4.0 from 262 reviews. The model-name cell says BK19 and the model-number cell says K9Jia. Bullets claim 10 sensitivity levels and up to 5 hours of continuous use, and the box cell says charger. A review reports a lens reflection on a Blink camera and radio activity, and several buyers mention hotels. One review says the unit will not hold a charge and calls the purchase a waste of about £70, and another says the torch does not work. The magnetic-probe row does not state a probe. Hit-and-miss detection shows up in the texts, so the 5-hour line is a claim you should not budget a trip around until the cell has held a charge in your own unit.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a mid-price stick with a stated charger and you will test the battery on day one.
Less suitable: You need a magnetic probe on the listing, or a battery complaint at about £70 is enough to skip it.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the FOWARD GAUSS BK19 hold a charge?
The listing claims up to 5 hours of continuous use and lists a charger. One review says the unit will not hold a charge and calls the purchase a waste of about £70.
What is the model number of the BK19?
The model-name cell says BK19. The model-number cell says K9Jia. Both are in the same listing.
The JMDHKK K-68 is listed at £76.99 and 249 g, with 3.8 from 958 reviews, the second-largest count in this set. The frequency row states 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, which is the listing text and not a measured result, and it is a narrower claim than the 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz bullets on other pages. Reviewers say it can show a radio signal, a magnetic source, and a mini-camera lens in a home test, and some recommend it for travel after a learning period. The same file says sensitivity is hard to set: the alarm is nothing or everything, and on a test tracker it sounded only when the detector touched the device. Instructions are called dire. The item-count cell says 35, which does not match a single detector, so that count is not a pack size you can buy against. A large review file here describes a unit that is awkward to tune, which is why it sits below the K18 listings despite 958 reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a heavily reviewed JMDHKK body and you are willing to spend time learning the control.
Less suitable: You want a knob reviewers can set in the middle, or you are paying £76.99 for a cleaner listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Which bands does the K-68 listing state?
The frequency-bands row states 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. That is the listing text. It is not a measured result, and it is not a detection distance.
Is the K-68 sold as a 35-piece set?
The item-count and unit-count cells both say 35. That does not match a single detector, so the count is not a pack size you can buy against.
The HawkSpy K18 is a 136 g handheld at £40.92 on amazon.co.uk, with 3.8 from 58 reviews, and the listing names a sensitivity knob, sound and vibration alarms, an infrared viewfinder, and a GS magnetic probe. Reviewers who checked a quiet room at night use the vibration alert, and more than one report the magnetic mode on a vehicle. The box lists a charging cable, the probe, the main unit, an RF antenna, and a manual, and it does not list a BS 1363 mains charger. A recurring complaint is that touching or moving the antenna sets the alarm off, and the beep is described as loud. One review says an app is required, while others describe switching it on and turning the knob with no app. The magnetic probe did nothing against a fridge magnet in one home test, and another reviewer did not pick up a tracker’s radio. You get the quiet alert written on the listing, with a review file that is much smaller than the SIKVIO K18’s 1,229.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a listed vibration alert for a night check and can live with a 58-review file.
Less suitable: You need the largest review sample in this set, or the antenna must not alarm when you touch it.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the HawkSpy K18 include a mains charger?
The listed box is a charging cable, a GS probe, the main unit, an RF antenna, and a manual. A BS 1363 mains charger is not listed.
Can the HawkSpy K18 alert without a beep?
The listing states sound and vibration alarms. Reviewers use vibration for a quiet room. Others say the beep is loud and that touching the antenna sets the alarm off.
Does the HawkSpy K18 need an app?
One review says an app is required. Other reviews describe switching it on and turning a sensitivity knob, with no app.
The Mystery Code M18 is the cheapest listing in this set at £9.99 and 130 g, with a line of 3.8 from 15 reviews. The review notes contain three texts, all dated 21 October 2025, and none of those three describes a fault, a false alarm, or a missed device. The listing claims an infrared check, radio, a magnetic signal, a silent mode and a beep mode. A bullet says to turn off your own phone, router, and other wireless devices before a check, to reduce interference. The frequency line is written 1-6.5GHZ, without a clear lower unit, and a bullet claims 25 hours after a 1-hour charge. The box contents are not stated. Three same-day texts under a 15-review line are not a sample that shows how this stick behaves next to a UK router, so £9.99 is a low shelf price with almost no failure mode on the page.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest price in this table and you will not treat three same-day texts as a test.
Less suitable: You need a review file that describes false alarms, or a frequency line with a clear unit.
Specifications
Common questions
How many M18 reviews are in the notes?
The listing line says 3.8 from 15 reviews. The notes have three review texts, all dated 21 October 2025. None of those three describes a fault.
Does the M18 listing mention interference from your own phone?
A bullet says turn off your phone, router, and other wireless devices before a check, to reduce interference. It also offers a silent mode and a beep mode. Box contents are not stated.
The JMDHKK K20 is listed at £46.99 and 181 g, with 3.7 from 420 reviews. The listing describes a flashing red light and an optical filter for a lens check, plus radio and a magnetic mode, and a 500 mAh cell, while the box cell lists the main unit only. Reviewers use it for hotel rooms, and one calls the camera finder nearly perfect while disliking the magnet range. A detailed review says magnet detection is limited to a few centimetres, short enough that you will usually already see the magnet. Several reviews say the unit only makes noise, that GPS mode does not work, or that it beeps where there is no electronics. The colour cell reads as a product slogan rather than a colour. Vibration and a sensitivity control are not stated, so a quiet, tunable night pass is not what this page documents.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a red-light lens filter with a large review file and you will hold a magnet probe against the surface.
Less suitable: You expect a magnet check from the driver’s seat, or you need vibration and a stated sensitivity control.
Specifications
Common questions
What colour is the JMDHKK K20?
The colour cell does not name a colour. It repeats a product slogan, so the colour is not stated on that row.
Does the K20 magnet check work from the driver’s seat?
A review says the magnet range is so short you will usually already see the magnet. Another review says a unit only made noise. The listing does not state a range.
Shelf prices, stars, and review counts are the twelve amazon.co.uk listings in this set, captured on 20 October 2026. There was no lab test. A gigahertz span, a 25-hour bullet, a 5-hour bullet, and a 99.9% line stay listing copy. Scores weigh the star line and the size of the review file, whether the listing names a lens check, radio mode, magnetic probe, sensitivity control, and a quiet alert, what UK review notes actually describe, and the GBP price against those modes.
Amazon evidence
25%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then the review count. A same-day cluster is deducted. A 4.4 from 12 reviews is not scored as a large sample, and a 5.0 from five reviews is not the top pick.
Listing fit
35%A lens check, a radio mode, a magnetic probe, a sensitivity control, and a quiet alert, plus a box line you can quote. A mini-camera components cell, a 35-piece count on a single detector, a weight row that disagrees with a bullet, or a model number that disagrees with the name is deducted.
Review outcome
25%Review notes that describe a viewfinder, a hotel pass, a car magnet, or a false alarm score above an empty file. A loud false beep, an antenna that alarms when touched, a unit that will not hold a charge, and a sensitivity control reviewers cannot set are deducted.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against the modes the listing actually names and the size of the review file. The dearest page does not score here when sound, vibration, and sensitivity are unstated.
The twelve listings split into pocket sticks around £10 to £30, K-series bodies around £40 to £80, and two dearer units at about £105.89 and about £179.98. Start with the modes the page actually names, then the review file, then the box. A higher price in this set does not add a frequency readout. The scores are not a lab test, and a quiet unit is not proof a room is clear.
A bug finder in this comparison is a handheld receiver sold on amazon.co.uk. Travellers, people checking a holiday let they are staying in, and drivers who may inspect a car they are allowed to check use it to look for a hidden camera, a wireless transmitter, or a magnet-mounted tracker. It is not a spectrum analyser, and it is not a specialist counter-surveillance receiver. No listing in this set shows a UKCA mark. Quality is not the gigahertz number in a bullet.
SIKVIO, Souhpyh, and XiflLife state about 1 MHz to 6.5 GHz. The K-68 row states 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz. Mystery Code writes 1-6.5GHZ without a clear lower unit. Those lines are listing copy. They are not a distance, and they were not measured for this page.
Radio mode misses a camera that is off or writing only to a card, and a tracker that transmits in bursts. Hotel Wi-Fi and your own phone also trip the alarm. A beep is not proof of a hidden device, and silence is not proof the room is clear.
The XiflLife line is 5.0 from five reviews, with four texts on 11 September 2026 and no fault described. The Mystery Code notes are three texts on one day. A 99.9% or military line is a bullet, not a detection rate. The failure modes in this set show up in the larger mid-price files.
Name the modes before you compare prices. Prefer a listing whose bullets and a review both describe a lens check, a radio-strength alarm, and a magnetic probe. A lens window is how reviewers on the SIKVIO K18 and the HawkSpy K18 describe seeing a camera. Radio mode is a strength beep or a vibration, and it also hears routers, phones, and hotel Wi-Fi. The magnetic probe is for a magnet-mounted tracker.
Travel reviews ask for vibration at night. A unit that only beeps, or that alarms when the antenna is touched, is the complaint on the HawkSpy K18, the SIKVIO K18, and the K20. The HawkSpy listing states sound and vibration, and a knob, at about £40.92, with 3.8 from 58 reviews. The SIKVIO listing states a potentiometer and does not state vibration. It has 4.2 from 1,229 reviews, and one review describes a loud false beep and a refund.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want the detector with the largest amazon.co.uk review file and a viewfinder reviewers describe. The SIKVIO K18 is about £44.99, with 4.2 from 1,229 reviews and a sensitivity potentiometer. Vibration is not stated, and one review describes a loud false beep.
You want vibration written on the listing, plus a knob, a lens check, and a GS probe. The HawkSpy K18 is about £40.92, with 3.8 from 58 reviews and a cable in the box. Reviewers report alarms when the antenna is touched.
You want a named lens mode and a charging cable under £30, and you will turn the sensitivity down near Wi-Fi. The SFILOFEREE T19 is about £29.99, with 4.5 from 63 reviews and six sensitivity levels. Vibration is not stated, and one unit would not switch off.
The top pick is the SIKVIO K18 at about £44.99. It has the largest review file in this set, 4.2 from 1,229 amazon.co.uk reviews, a viewfinder described in reviews, and a sensitivity potentiometer. Vibration is not stated, and one review describes a loud false beep. Best value is the HawkSpy K18 at about £40.92, because the listing names a lens check, a knob, a GS probe, vibration, and a cable. That file is 3.8 from 58 reviews, and the antenna can alarm when you touch it. A 5.0 from five reviews is not the top pick. The JMDHKK M8000 at about £179.98 is not best value: sound, vibration, and a sensitivity control are unstated.
HawkSpy K18
About £40.92 for a listed lens check, knob, GS probe, vibration alert, and a cable in the box.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Listings captured 20 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test.
